Bleeding Heart Now Offering Cocktails, Dinner

Michelle Garcia of Bleeding Heart Bakery (Photo: Bill Lambert)

The new Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe's ambitious concept of staying open 57 straight hours 7am Friday-4pm Sunday didn't quite take off, so they've made a few changes.

One of the reasons, according to one of the late-night servers, is because too many dishes felt like breakfast items. On a recent Friday night visit, there were eggs in almost everything, including the fish tacos. The dining room at the West Town spot was also empty.

So the diner menu has been completely revamped and the weekend hours have been cut back 7am-11pm Friday and Saturday.

Here's the newly released menu that's full of dinner-focused items, plus they've added a Mimosa and Bloody Mary to the previously non-alcoholic beverage list.

The Slurping Turtle Opens Nov. 28

Takashi Yagihashi's ramen noodles photo via rachelleb.com

We're pretty enthusiastic fans of Penny's Noodle Shop and Zen Noodles & Sushi, so we've been waiting pretty anxiously for the opening of The Slurping Turtle.

That's Takashi Yagihashi's trendy spot that's finally debuting Nov. 28 in River North. We're expecting big things from the Michelin-starred chef, so we've been stalking the menu in preparation.

Here are some highlights:

Sprout Team To Open Lakeview Spot in 2012

The Sprout kitchen team includes Executive Chef Dale Levitski (second from right) and sous chef Sara Nguyen. (Photo: Sprout)

In October, Sprout's Dale Levitski told 312DD that he was looking to open a second location.

Thursday, he revealed to the Chicago Tribune that the new restaurant is going to be a French-American bistro called frog n snail in Lakeview:

"(Levitski) describes it as French classics with Midwestern sensibilities, with touches of his Eastern European roots. It’ll be a return to roots of sorts, the sort of food he was cooking at Andersonville’s La Tache.

'It’s not a concept that’s reinventing the wheel,' he said. 'My neighborhood needs a French-American bistro.'

'Best Mixologist,' 'Best New Restaurant' Categories Added To Banchet Awards

Josh Pearson of Sepia; Lynn House of Blackbird.

The 15th annual Grand Chefs Gala happens Jan. 27, and one of the highlights will be the Jean Banchet Awards ceremony, which rewards top talent on the local dining scene. But new this year are the "Best Mixologist" and "Best New Restaurant" categories, which should be hotly contested races.

Also new was that for the first time in the award's 11-year history, the nomination process was opened to the public through online voting. The winners will be chosen by all nominees as well as the chefs that participate in the 2012 Grand Chefs Gala.

Here are the nominees:

Something To Hop About . . .

Those into the beer scene will appreciate these events pairing suds with supper (or brunch):

Lincoln Park newcomer 2 Sparrows has already garnered rave reviews for breakfast and lunch, so now they're delving into dinner with the launch of a monthly beer series.

The plan is to highlight prominent breweries throughout the Midwest, and pairing the beers with seasonal and locally sourced dishes from Executive Chef Gregory Ellis. The event debuts Dec. 9 with Finch's Beer Co., with reps from the Chicago-based small-batch brewery on hand to co-host the evening. The event is $60 per person, and reservations can be made at 6, 6:30 and 7pm.

Here's what guests will get:

Country pate and pork rilette (paired with Finch's Cutthroat Pale Ale)

Scallop with crispy pig trotter (Finch's Golden Wing Blond Ale)

Porchetta with a Sunny-Side Egg (Finch's Threadless IPA)

Malted Crepes with blueberry mascarpone (Finch's Smoked Honey Dunkelweiss)

Two more events you don't want to miss:

Big Star vs. Perennial Virant!

Big Star's "Justin Cased" hot dog is on the menu at Franks 'n' Dawgs through November. (Photo: Big Star)

Even more big news for Big Star.

The red-hot taco spot's going head-to-head with Perennial Virant this month in Franks 'n' Dawgs' Iron Dawg Competition. Each restaurant's executive chef has created a signature hot dog, and the one that sells best wins bragging rights.

Happy Anniversary, Big Star!

Tacos from Big Star (Photo: Grant Kessler)

They've got a solid taco menu, dirt-cheap whiskey shots and Honky Tonk tunes to get that head nodding.

That'll be Big Star, which celebrates its second anniversary Wednesday with a blow-out bash.

For the occasion, Three Floyds takes over all the taps, and will feature all their products including the hard-to-get Zombie Dust. Other deals include $2 shots, $2 tacos and a t-shirt designed by artist Tony Fitzpatrick. Oh yeah. Somehow they're squeezing deejays in the mix.

My advice: Get there early . . .

Have a Stress-Free Holiday

If you're like me, you absolutely love holidays like Thanksgiving, but you don't love the idea of cleaning up.

Now, if you're lucky, you'll manage to get yourself invited to someone's house who doesn't mind the cooking and cleaning, but you still have to bring something. That's why I decided to add a few tips on some of the best spots to pick up an item or two.

Or, if you decide to dine out at one of the many restaurants actually open on Turkey Day, I've got you covered there, too.